If I Was the Only One Who Voted for the Oscars, Vol. 2
It is time for my favorite thing to write about on this online journal, Saoirse Ronan Deserves an Oscar (more on that later). Granted, I’ve only written about it once before, but last year’s edition of “my own Oscars,” as it were, was such fun that I knew I’d be excited to write it all over again when the year of 2019 was up. I had to stop myself many times to avoid thinking too far ahead about the categories. After all, I wouldn’t want to spoil them for myself when the January/February awards season came around. (I placated my love of this sort of piece by writing about the Emmys instead.) This year’s Oscar nominations were more defensible than last year’s and I’ll have some predictions soon. But for now, it’s all about my own preferences for awards in 2019. And wow! What a year it was! The categories are much stiffer in competition than they were in 2018, but that just serves to make it more fun. And it makes the ones who do secure nominations all the more impressive!
All the same stipulations apply from last year. The only international feature I saw was Parasite, so that category will not be included because Parasite would be the runaway winner. In terms of short films, the only ones I saw were Anima and the Pixar short films (like Kitbull) so there is not enough to flesh out an entire category. But I have kept Best Cameo, Best Voice Work, and Best Scene (the culmination category) for the 2019 edition of this piece. So with those caveats out of the way, I present to you, the Oscars, as seen by one dedicated viewer. What are yours?
Best Picture
Avengers: Endgame (Marvel)
Chasing Happiness (Amazon)
The Irishman (Netflix)
Knives Out (Lionsgate)
Last Christmas (Universal)
Little Women (Sony)
Long Shot (Lionsgate)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony)
Toy Story 4 (Pixar)
Uncut Gems (A24)
Last year, only one of my Best Picture selections (Black Panther) synced up with the actual Academy’s. This year, it’s a bit more even. Three of the selections overlap and one (Knives Out) was likely the odd man out in the nominations. Avengers: Endgame is the obvious winner, though, which has already been well-established. And that’s why this category goes first! Congratulations to Endgame, winner of the big prize!
Last Year’s Winner: The Old Man and the Gun (Searchlight)
Best Acting in a Cameo Role
Robert Carlyle for Yesterday
Mike Francesa for Uncut Gems
Rene Russo for Avengers: Endgame
John Slattery for Avengers: Endgame
Henry Thomas for Doctor Sleep
There were so many good cameos this year! I hesitate to even spoil some of these, but here we are. As good as everyone was, I think the award had to go to someone from Endgame, which employed each cameo precisely and perfectly. The performances were each filled with such emotion; I still get chills! It was tempting to pick Slattery because of how indescribably beautiful his last scene is with Tony Stark. But ultimately, I opted for the knowing, mournful, selfless performance Rene Russo gave as Frigga, Thor’s mother, one last time. The qualities she exhibits are right at the heart of what Endgame is all about. “This was a gift,” she says, selling the scene flawlessly, showing us that Frigga might have mattered more than Odin ever did.
Throughout this, I will also mention what I ended up cutting from the shortlists for each category. They were all so damn hard to choose! For this one, I considered Bruce Dern in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Tilda Swinton in Avengers: Endgame. But ultimately, I settled on this batch.
Last Year’s Winner: Dick Van Dyke for Mary Poppins Returns
Best Acting in a Voice-Over or Motion Capture Role
Kristen Bell for Frozen II
Josh Brolin for Avengers: Endgame
Billy Eichner for The Lion King
Tom Hanks for Toy Story 4
Mark Ruffalo for Avengers: Endgame
Another very solid category! It is obscenely impressive what Mark Ruffalo manages to do with his voice as the Smart Hulk, but ultimately, the honor belongs to Tom Hanks. In what will likely be his final cinematic turn as Woody, Hanks turned on the charm and the emotion. He’s funny and loyal and confused, just as we’ve always known Woody to be. But Hanks brings the necessary bravado that carries Woody forward to a confident conclusion, perhaps for the first time in that cowboy’s life. The wavering emotion in Hanks’ voice is pure artistry at its finest. It was real sadness, real nostalgia, and real loss. A twenty-four year old character, now at peace. Thank you, Tom Hanks.
I considered Jonathan Groff for Frozen II and Tim Allen for Toy Story 4.
Last Year’s Winner: Josh Brolin for Avengers: Infinity War
Best Visual Effects
Dan DeLeeuw for Avengers: Endgame
Robert Legato for The Lion King
Allen Maris for Ad Astra
Guillaume Rocheron for 1917
Richard Stammers for Dumbo
Thank goodness Avengers: Endgame came out in 2020 and not, like, 1985 or something. The special effects only just barely work for Endgame as it is! There can often be an inclination to award the movie with the most special effects, rather than the best (it seems like every scene of Endgame had some sort of CGI in it, whereas I still have no idea how 1917 created that plane), but in this case, Endgame has the most and the best. It’s pretty damn flawless! Even the army base has CGI backgrounds and it still manages to look fully lived in. Budgets and technology will do that, I suppose. But the hallmark of the movie, even more than the massive battle sequence at the film’s climax, is the Incredible Hulk. Merged with the personality of Bruce Banner, this character could have been an unmitigated visual disaster. And yet, not only does it work, it’s believable and it actually makes us feel something. Call it the VFX artists, call it Ruffalo’s performance. I just call it impressive filmmaking. Deserving of the award, too!
I considered Aladdin, Captain Marvel, Doctor Sleep, It: Chapter Two, Rocketman, and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Last Year’s Winner: Christopher Lawrence for Christopher Robin
Best Film Editing
Ronald Bronstein for Uncut Gems
Bob Ducsay for Knives Out
Jeffrey Ford for Avengers: Endgame
Nick Houy for Little Women
Monica Salazar for Honey Boy
Film editing is a crazy beast that can be a lot of fun, but can also be daunting and best left to the non-scatterbrained among us. (Though, if any of these nominees are scatterbrained, more power to them.) Little Women had pitch-perfect editing, in my mind, but I had to give the nod to Honey Boy. Neither movie ever left me confused, but something about Honey Boy just seemed slightly more fluid. It was as if the collaboration between Monica Salazar and Alma Har’el was guiding me on the a wonderfully-paced journey. I also just happen to have a ton of respect for what Salazar accomplished, after hearing her on Alicia Malone’s podcast, Magnificent Obsession.
I considered A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Irishman, Marriage Story, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Last Year’s Winner: Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick for Searching
Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran for Little Women
Jenny Eagan for Knives Out
Norma Moriceau for Aladdin
Arianne Phillips for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Mitchell Travers for Late Night
This was another one that brought me very close to Little Women. (And Knives Out, man, those sweaters.) And while I loved the costumes Jacqueline Durran created (especially with Greta Gerwig’s dazzling and dizzying intel in mind that Laurie’s fashion would be slightly pre-period because of his elders’ misguided attempts at fashion), the edge goes to Aladdin. Yes, these costumes were showier, but my goodness were they gorgeous. The costume design would have won for Jasmine’s character alone! Her wardrobe is stunning throughout, with a number of dresses that probably cost more than I will make in my entire lifetime. But isn’t it so pretty to look at?
I considered The Hustle and Jojo Rabbit.
Last Year’s Winner: Sandy Powell for Mary Poppins Returns
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Frida Aradottir for Little Women
John Blake for Avengers: Endgame
Gary English for The Irishman
Scott Wheeler for Us
Pippa Woods for Last Christmas
Okay, here we go. Now, Little Women gets some love. Because look at that hair! Wowza! The entire scene on the hill between Jo and Laurie has some gorgeous hairstyles for Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalemet. They could probably pull off wearing mops on their heads, to be honest, but still, Frida Aradottir took it to the next level. (Saoirse kind of even pulls it off when Jo chops off her locks.) And while the makeup may not have been as prominent as it was in the other categories, the hair gives it enough of a boost, considering that Thor, Captain America, Gamora, and Last Christmas are the only ones with impressive hair I can really recall. (Thanos is bald and Saoirse is beautiful!)
I considered A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Late Night, and The Lighthouse.
Last Year’s Winner: Kimberly Kimble for A Wrinkle in Time
Best Cinematography
Natasha Braier for Honey Boy
Roger Deakins for 1917
Yorick Le Saux for Little Women
Robert Richardson for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Steve Yedlin for Knives Out
Little Women hive rise up! Even though Once has the most memorable sequence, 1917 has the real Oscar locked up, Honey Boy strung together magnificent shots, and Knives Out has the best-shot ending of the year, this award belongs to Little Women, which never once had a poorly-shot scene. And look at me now! I kind of know more about cinematography this year than I did back in 2019. And I definitely know that Little Women’s cinematography was perfectly-tailored to each moment of the film. The way the camera moves around squabbles, the way it observes the joys from a bit of distance, the way certain framing devices are used to color in the 1800s a bit more, that beach shot with the sand wisping away. Yup, yup. It’s Little Women for this category. There shall be no debate!
I considered Avengers: Endgame, Doctor Sleep, El Camino, Rocketman, and Uncut Gems.
Last Year’s Winner: Alfonso Cuaron for Roma
Best Production Design
Maher Ahmad for Noelle
Dennis Gassner for 1917
Jess Gonchor for Little Women
Barbara Ling for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bob Shaw for The Irishman
The production design for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was something I knew to be a winner from the moment I saw the movie. Every detail of 1969 Hollywood was painstakingly and authentically recreated by the collaboration between Barbara Ling and Quentin Tarantino. It was a true love letter to a long gone era! Don’t believe me? Watch this video. From long stretches of Hollywood boulevards to recreated television sets and murder ranches to the dense objects on Rick Dalton’s shelves (and a poster for The Golden Stallion), the production design was some of the best I have ever seen.
I considered Avengers: Endgame, Knives Out, and Uncut Gems.
Last Year’s Winner: John Myhre for Mary Poppins Returns
Best Sound Mixing and Sound Editing
Harry Cohen and Sylvain Lasseur for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Pud Cusack for Little Women
David Farmer for Avengers: Endgame
Warren Shaw for Uncut Gems
Paul Stanley for Chasing Happiness
I am continuing my tradition of grouping these categories together because I have no idea what the difference is! The sound in Uncut Gems, therefore, receives two awards here. And it’s wholly deserving. Seriously, the entire art of the sound in this movie helps contribute to the frantic frustrations and heart palpitations of stress that we all felt watching Howard Ratner race around the Diamond District. It is insane to me that they somehow were able to make sense of the overlapping dialogue in this film. Nine characters can be talking at once and it’s all up to the sound engineers to make it coherent, but also propelling throughout the film. Somehow, they achieved that.
I considered Aladdin, Frozen II, Last Christmas, The Lighthouse, Rocketman, and Yesterday.
Last Year’s Winner: Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn for A Quiet Place
Best Original Score
Christophe Beck for Frozen II
Alexandre Desplat for Little Women
Randy Newman for Marriage Story
Thomas Newman for 1917
Alan Silvestri for Avengers: Endgame
There’s an argument to be made for each one of these scores. I have songs from Little Women, Frozen II, 1917, and Marriage Story floating around my iPod. I was *this* close to picking Desplat. But ultimately, the nod should go to Silvestri. Not only did he compose “Portals,” which is a breathtaking, flawless track that I have heard roughly fifty times since seeing Endgame, but he also made a soaring score throughout the entire movie. Finally, after twenty-two films, a Marvel crossover movie did a good job of weaving the scores of individual characters together. The strings of Doctor Strange, the whimsical funk of both Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy, and the triumphant, 1940s-era patriotism of Captain America: The First Avenger. The score is one of the movie’s best parts!
I considered A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Glass, and Knives Out.
Last Year’s Winner: Marc Shaiman for Mary Poppins Returns
Best Original Song
“Beautiful Ghosts” by Taylor Swift from Cats
“Lost in the Woods” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez from Frozen II
“Some Things Never Change” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez from Frozen II
“Speechless” by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul from Aladdin
“Spirit” by Beyonce from The Lion King
When the year began, I’d have never thought that Cats would get more nominations than Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But here we are. Regardless, Cats did not win, as much as I love Taylor. Instead, the winner is “Some Things Never Change.” Many of the songs in Frozen II were incredible, but the big show stoppers were not quite as show stopping as what has come before. Instead, it’s this song, which perfectly brings the audience into a sequel, while still honoring and blending with what came before. “Some Things Never Change” is a fun, ensemble number that has already entered my list of great Disney songs. It’s the most underrated from Frozen II and it’s the one I’m most excited to hear when it comes on shuffle!
I considered “Catchy Song” from The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman, and “Show Yourself” from Frozen II.
Last Year’s Winner: “All the Stars” by Kendrick Lamar from Black Panther
Best Documentary
Apollo 11 (Neon)
Chasing Happiness (Amazon)
Fyre (Netflix)
Homecoming (Netflix)
Penguins (Disney)
The competition was not even close! Chasing Happiness is the run away winner of this category and for good reason, too. One of the most emotional and musically-delightful movies I’ve ever seen, let alone documentaries. Every year, it seems like there’s another great documentary to love. 2017 brought us Jane. 2018 brought us Won’t You Be My Neighbor?. And 2019 brought us Chasing Happiness, the story of the Jonas Brothers, their split, and their eventual reunion. No one could have expected such an occurrence in 2019, but it was one of the best things to happen all year!
I didn’t see any other 2019 documentary features.
Last Year’s Winner: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Focus)
Best Animated Feature Film
Frozen II (Disney)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Universal)
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (Warner Brothers)
The Lion King (Disney)
Toy Story 4 (Pixar)
Disney had a big year for animation, even if their remake of The Lion King counts as live-action, but not really? I don’t know! Who knows? It’s not important anyway because it didn’t win. The honor instead goes to Toy Story 4. In a year of animation that was defined by sequels and endings, no film did such a thing better than Toy Story 4. Arguably the funniest installment of the greatest quadrilogy to ever exist, Toy Story 4 was also not afraid to lay on the emotion. That ending! It still gets me teary eyed, just like every other Toy Story ending. No franchise was ever so perfect and I’m glad we can still honor it two and a half decades later. Good on ya, Pixar.
I didn’t see any other 2019 animated features.
Last Year’s Winner: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Mike Flanagan for Doctor Sleep
Greta Gerwig for Little Women
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely for Avengers: Endgame
Steven Zaillian for The Irishman
This is the only screenplay I read, as well, from this batch. And not only did I read it, I read it in two days about a week after I saw the movie. Little Women has been out for the least amount of time, at that! It is just one of the most perfect adaptations ever brought to the screen. Greta Gerwig is a genius who has crafted the definitive screen version of the story, deftly navigating between past and present, leads and supporters, and she makes it look so effortless. To be honest, Little Women deserves the award for the line, “You will be bored of him in two years and we will be interesting forever” alone. One of the best screenplays ever written.
I considered Jojo Rabbit, Last Christmas, and Toy Story 4.
Last Year’s Winner: David Lowery for The Old Man and the Gun
Best Original Screenplay
Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, and Josh Safdie for Uncut Gems
Rian Johnson for Knives Out
Mindy Kaling for Late Night
Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah for Long Shot
Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
It was such a great year for screenplays! I could hardly narrow it down as easily as I did last year. It is an amazing time to be a filmmaker in Hollywood and Knives Out is an unquestionable testament to this. Not only does it have a series of clever quips and “dumb,” funny lines (“CSI: KFC?”), but it also has whip smart twists and turns. Sometimes, screenplays are about more than just the dialogue. And Rian Johnson proved that in spades by pouring out a perfectly formed and surprising murder mystery on the page. The parlor mystery is clearly well thought-out and it practically breathes on the page as lively and colorful as it does on screen. Johnson is one of our best young filmmakers!
I considered 1917, Booksmart, Honey Boy, Marriage Story, Parasite, Us, and Yesterday.
Last Year’s Winner: Drew Goddard for Bad Times at the El Royale
Best Supporting Actor
Kevin Garnett for Uncut Gems
Tom Hanks for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Shia LaBeouf for Honey Boy
Joe Pesci for The Irishman
Brad Pitt for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
One of the strongest years for this category ever. But I actually fall in live with the actual Academy on this one. Barring one of the biggest shocks of the ceremony, Brad Pitt is going to win this trophy next weekend. And he actually deserves it! I hear him saying, “Don’t know when I’ll make it back here again” in my head all the time. But the whole performance is filled with memorable moments like that. Pitt just sinks into the role of Cliff Booth perfectly. He is hilarious and so cool. As good a character as Rick Dalton is, Booth is almost wholly a Pitt creation, rather than just Quentin Tarantino’s!
This one was tough. I considered Alan Alda for Marriage Story, Timothee Chalamet for Little Women, Willem Dafoe for The Lighthouse, Robert Downey, Jr. for Avengers: Endgame, Chris Evans for Knives Out, Andrew Scott for 1917, and Taika Waititi for Jojo Rabbit. (God, it hurt to cut Chalamet and Evans.)
Last Year’s Winner: Tim Blake Nelson for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Best Supporting Actress
Ana de Armas for Knives Out
Mindy Kaling for Late Night
Florence Pugh for Little Women
Margot Robbie for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Emma Watson for Little Women
So tempting to award this to Florence Pugh. But really, you couldn’t go wrong with anyone getting the win in this category. It’s insanely strong. But I think the work that Ana de Armas had to do as Marta in Knives Out was insane. A lot was asked of her and she had to work from a ride range of emotions and hide behind layer upon layer of character motivation. She’s been in movies I’ve seen before this one, but I had never truly heard of her until Knives Out. The fact that she became an instant favorite of mine is a testament to how deeply she excelled in the role of a murder mystery character. Ana de Armas is going to be an absolute gem for years to come!
I considered Laura Dern for Little Women, Julia Fox for Uncut Gems, Lily James for Yesterday, Scarlett Johansson for Jojo Rabbit, Billie Lourd for Booksmart, and Zendaya for Spider-Man: Homecoming. (Man, these categories are so stacked. Maybe as stacked as they’ll ever be.)
Last Year’s Winner: Claire Foy for First Man
Best Actor
Daniel Craig for Knives Out
Leonardo DiCaprio for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver for Marriage Story
Himesh Patel for Yesterday
Adam Sandler for Uncut Gems
It is an absolute shame that Sandler didn’t net an Oscar nomination for his performance as Howard Ratner in Uncut Gems. Who knows when he will get the chance again, you know? He’s an absolute treasure and I’ve written so many words about him that I’m not sure there’s much else I can say about his immense acting prowess if you haven’t been convinced already? He is so dynamic and immersive and as Howard, he turns so many different preconceptions about his real life persona on their head. Plus, the Sandler press tour was absolutely delightful. What more does the Academy want? It was the best performance of the year!
I considered Robert De Niro for The Irishman, Henry Golding for Last Christmas, Samuel L. Jackson for Glass, George MacKay for 1917, Ewan McGregor for Doctor Sleep, Aaron Paul for El Camino, and Seth Rogen for Long Shot.
Last Year’s Winner: Robert Redford for The Old Man and the Gun
Best Actress
Emilia Clarke for Last Christmas
Lupita Nyong’o for Us
Saoirse Ronan for Little Women
Naomi Scott for Aladdin
Charlize Theron for Long Shot
Saoirse Ronan Deserves an Oscar. That is the name of this online journal which is around three or so years old now. In that time, she has not gotten an Oscar. But she does still deserve one, I feel. I mean, she’s probably the most deserving person in the world. She’s nominated again this year and while I have no idea what I’ll do if she wins, I do know what I can do about my own version of the Oscars. And in that one, Saoirse Ronan has earned her first, of what I assume will be many, victory. Her showcase of Jo March is nothing short of revelatory. The pathos, the magnificent emossion, the fully-formed perfection. I can’t imagine Jo as anyone but Saoirse now and she is a more than worthy winner because of all that and more. I mean, her line delivery of, “I’m so lonely” is just the best thing that ever happened. She is my favorite. She deserves an Oscar.
I considered Scarlett Johansson for Marriage Story, Anna Kendrick for Noelle, Brie Larson for Captain Marvel, and Emma Thompson for Late Night.
Last Year’s Winner: Emily Blunt for Mary Poppins Returns
Best Director
Greta Gerwig for Little Women
Rian Johnson for Knives Out
Joe Russo and Anthony Russo for Avengers: Endgame
Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie for Uncut Gems
Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
I’ve had chats with my father before about how it might be possible for two separate films to win the Best Director trophy and the Best Picture trophy. Now, I finally understand it. Avengers: Endgame was the best movie and experience, as well as being a singular accomplishment in the history of cinema. It deserves the Best Picture trophy completely. But I do think that, as marvelous and masterful a job that the Russo Brothers did, Gerwig deserves the award for Best Director. She is so amazing with actors and she managed to get peak performances out of everyone in her cast. She did more than justice to the source material. She seems to have perfected it. Would a treasure it would be to ever have the chance to be directed on a film by Gerwig. I’m not an actor, but I’d go to acting school if it meant I could be in a Gerwig period classic. She is not only the best director of the year (the Oscars cannot justify that snub), but she might be my favorite director ever.
I considered Danny Boyle for Yesterday, Paul Feig for Last Christmas, Marielle Heller for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Jonathan Levine for Long Shot, Sam Mendes for 1917, and Martin Scorsese for The Irishman.
Last Year’s Winner: David Lowery for The Old Man and the Gun
The Robert Redford Award for Lifetime Achievement
Richard Curtis
I wanted to introduce a new award as a surprise, as well! A Lifetime Achievement Award. Now, I don’t know how long I’ll do this annually, but I do know that I hope to do it quite a bit. As such, I want to introduce this Lifetime Achievement Award for people who may not work a whole lot in the future, but have done great work in the past, before I had a chance to recognize them here. (For example, you can consider last year to retroactively have this awarded to Robert Redford, who is the namesake for it.) This year, I want to recognize Richard Curtis with the honor.
The Original Screenplay category was so stacked this year that I was unfortunately unable to find room in it for Richard Curtis’ delightfully inventive script for Yesterday. Instead, I wanted to give this honor to Curtis instead. The main reason for this is because we don’t know if Curtis will ever lend his talents to film again after Yesterday. The rumor is that he is retiring and even he has said that he won’t direct again. Writing is a different story, but for now, it seems like Curtis is at a crossroads. So now is the time to honor him.
Curtis is one of the gods of rom-coms as it seems like everything I’ve ever seen of his has been touched by gold. He wrote Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, War Horse, and Bridget Jones’s Diary. He directed both Love Actually and About Time. He wrote Yesterday and created the story for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. He’s had a hand in so many examples of romantic, sweet, charming, and optimistic stories. How can you not love his writing? These are not only some of my favorite rom-coms, but they are some of my favorite movies! Curtis is very talented and while I hope this isn’t the cap of his career, what a career it was all the same!
Last Year’s Winner: Robert Redford
Best Scene
Buzz and Woody Say Goodbye in Toy Story 4 (Pixar)
Jack Sings “Yesterday” in Yesterday (Universal)
Jo and Laurie on the Hill in Little Women (Sony)
Manson Family Murders in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony)
Portals in Avengers: Endgame (Marvel)
There was a wide slew of incredible scenes in 2019, but the award is going to a Marvel crossover event film once again. Few movies have the ability to get me as hyped as the culmination of the Infinity Saga did. Somehow, Thor’s entrance and Thanos’ snap were both topped in Avengers: Endgame by the insanely incredible (and thoroughly well-earned) fan service tangent taken by the film from the point when Cap lifts Mjolnir all the way through a battle between an entire universe. Each of these scenes will live on in my memory forever, but none has been more joyously rewatched and beloved as the portals moment in Avengers: Endgame.
I considered scenes from 1917, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Chasing Happiness, The Irishman, Knives Out, Last Christmas, Long Shot, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Uncut Gems.
Last Year’s Winner: Thanos Snaps in Avengers: Infinity War (Marvel)
What a year for movies! Honestly, any of the top five films from 2019 would have likely earned a sweep of awards had they come out in 2018. But it’s good to have some balance when there is so much talent. The real Oscars will likely be a bit more predictable, a bit more boring. But they encourage the further discussion of our favorite movies. That’s why they matter still!
Most Nominations
Little Women (15)*
Avengers: Endgame (14)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (12)
Uncut Gems (9)
Knives Out (8)
Frozen II, The Irishman (5)
1917, Chasing Happiness, The Lion King, Toy Story 4 (4)
Aladdin, Honey Boy, Last Christmas, Late Night, Long Shot, Yesterday (3)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Doctor Sleep, Marriage Story, Us (2)
Ad Astra, Apollo 11, Cats, Dumbo, Fyre, Homecoming, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Noelle, Penguins (1)
*Indicates a new record.
Most Wins
Avengers: Endgame, Little Women (5)
Uncut Gems (3)
Knives Out, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Toy Story 4 (2)
Aladdin, Chasing Happiness, Frozen II, Honey Boy, Yesterday (1)
